Echinacea plant named ‘Jacob Lewis’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Jacob Lewis’, characterized by its upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and columnar plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; large single fragrant inflorescences with salmon orange-colored ray florets; strong flowering stems that hold the inflorescences upright; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa.

Cultivar denomination: ‘JACOB LEWIS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Jacob Lewis’.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination during the summer of 2003 of two unnamed selections of Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented. The new Echinacea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Dahlonega, Ga. in June, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by tissue culture in a controlled environment in Alpharetta, Ga. since 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Jacob Lewis’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Jacob Lewis’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea:

-   -   1. Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and columnar plant         habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Large single fragrant inflorescences with salmon         orange-colored ray florets.     -   5. Strong flowering stems that hold the inflorescences upright.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in ray floret color.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea purpurea ‘Evan Saul’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,659. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dahlonega, Ga., plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of ‘Evan Saul’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were taller than plants of ‘Evan         Saul’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Evan Saul’.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and ‘Evan Saul’ differed in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Evan Saul’ had orange-colored ray         florets.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea purpurea ‘Katie Saul’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,783. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dahlonega, Ga., plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of ‘Katie Saul’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were taller than plants of ‘Katie         Saul’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Katie Saul’.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and ‘Katie Saul’ differed in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Katie Saul’ had salmon pink-colored         ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea plant. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Jacob Lewis’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Jacob Lewis’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alpharetta, Ga. during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 27° C. and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa     ‘Jacob Lewis’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Echinacea             purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Echinacea             purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 15 days at 20° C. to 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About eight             weeks at 26° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About ten             weeks at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fleshy, medium in thickness; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright to somewhat outwardly             spreading and columnar plant habit; freely basal branching             with numerous basal branches; terminal and axillary             inflorescences potentially developing at every node and are             held upright on strong peduncles; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 51 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 41 cm.         -   Basal branches.—Length: About 44 cm. Diameter, towards the             base: About 8 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Aspect:             Upright to slightly outwardly leaning. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to             146A to 146B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 11.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.75 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly elliptical to lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Sharply acute, elongated.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Shallowly serrated.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Rough, sparsely             pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A; venation, close to 146A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; lateral             veins, close to 147B; midvein, close to 147C.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 33 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Center, close to 147C; towards the margins, close             to 147A. Color, lower surface: Center, close to 147C;             towards the margins, darker than 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets; inflorescences terminal or axillary;             inflorescences potentially developing at every node with one             to about three open inflorescences per lateral branch at one             time; inflorescences held upright on strong peduncles.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate; sweet, pleasant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from the spring             throughout the summer in Georgia.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Depending on temperatures,             inflorescences maintain good substance for about two to four             weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 147B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11 cm. Depth (height):             About 3.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 3.3 cm. Receptacle             height: About 2 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1 cm.             Receptacle shape: Conical, narrow. Receptacle color: Close             to NN155B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 5.4 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute to slightly praemorse. Base:             Attenuate; fused into a short corolla tube. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in a single             whorl. Aspect: Initially upright to outwardly arching;             slightly concave along the longitudinal axis. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 34A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 36D faintly underlain with close to 46A.             Fully opened, upper surface: Darker than 32A; with             development, color becoming closer to 31C to 31D. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 36D faintly underlain with             close to 46A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex five-pointed. Length:             About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Number of disc florets             per inflorescence: About 147. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, immature and mature: Apex: Close to 144A. Mid-section             and base: Close to NN155D.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Length:             About 1.5 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex:             Sharply acute. Base: Tapering. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Apex: Close to 17A and 21A and tinted with close to             53A. Mid-section: Close to 144A. Base: Close to NN155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 60 in about             three to four whorls. Length, outer phyllaries: About             1.5 cm. Width, outer phyllaries: About 3 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 7.5 cm. Length,             uppermost axillary peduncle: About 4 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Angle, terminal peduncles: Erect. Angle, axillary             peduncles: About 20° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146B and 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamens per disc floret:             One. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to             145D. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 146C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 21A. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 1.2 cm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted; reflexed. Stigma color: Close to             187A. Style length: About 1 cm. Style color: Close to 150D.             Ovary color: Close to 157A. Seeds/fruits: Seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Echinacea. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about −16° C. to about 37° C. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Jacob Lewis’ as illustrated and described. 